Best example of a microbial insecticide is :
MH SET - 2018, SET Exam - 2018,
Answer: C
The best example is B. thuringensis (Bacillus thuringiensis).
During sporulation B. thuringiensis makes crystalline Cry (delta-endotoxin) proteins. In the alkaline gut of susceptible insect larvae these dissolve, are activated by proteases, and punch pores in the gut lining, killing the larvae. Bt sprays and Bt crops such as Bt cotton carrying cry genes are the most widely used biological insecticides.
B. subtilis is used for enzymes and as a biocontrol agent of plant diseases, B. polymyxa (now Paenibacillus) produces the antibiotic polymyxin, and B. licheniformis is used for industrial proteases and bacitracin. None is a significant insecticide.
Please log in or register to report this question.